Russia angry over US fining it $50,000 a day

MOSCOW 
Russia's Foreign Ministry has criticized a U.S. judge ruling fining Russia $50,000 a day over the failure to return historical books and documents to a Jewish group.

Chief Judge Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court ruled Wednesday that Russia should pay the fine until it complies with his 2010 order and returns the collection to the Chabad-Lubavitch group based in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. It includes tens of thousands of religious books and manuscripts, some hundreds of years old. The documents are held by Russia's State Library and the Russian military archive.

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday called the ruling "an absolutely unlawful and provocative decision" and threatened a "tough response" if U.S authorities try to seize any Russian property.